The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer having a compound semiconductor layer formed on a silicon substrate.
JP-A-2009-256154 discloses a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer. In order to form a semiconductor layer having less crystal defect, the method forms: a protective film, which is made of silicon nitride and has a film thickness of about 100 nm, on at least an outer periphery side of a substrate, which is made of silicon, for semiconductor crystal growth; a buffer layer, which is made of aluminum nitride, on an area that the protective film is not formed in a surface of the substrate for semiconductor crystal growth; and a semiconductor layer, which is made of gallium nitride, on the buffer layer.
According to the method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer disclosed in JP-A-2009-256154, in the crystal growth steps of the buffer layer and the semiconductor layer, it is possible to suppress a crack generated in the outer periphery area of the substrate for semiconductor crystal growth by stress concentration due to distortion, so that it is possible to suppress that gallium is introduced into the substrate for semiconductor crystal growth